How do you keep the epi-pen at the right temperature?? i.e., 15 to 30 celcius

We just had to replace one after it was exposed to the cold too long. We usually carry it in a belt that is under the coat but didn't that time.

My concern now is summertime when we want to be outside for hours in high heat. A cooler would be too cold. We will be visiting an area that is in the high 30s and 2 hours from a hospital so we must have viable epi-pens!

this excerpt from epipen.ca FAQs confirms that we need to keep it in a certain range but not how to do that safely! I emailed them but know that often parents have the more ingenious ideas Thanks for any ideas.

Q: Do extreme temperatures affect my EpiPen/EpiPen Jr.?
A:
Ideally, EpiPen/EpiPen Jr. should be stored at 25ºC (77ºF). However, excursions in the range of 15º–30ºC (59º–86ºF) are permitted. These temperatures apply when storing the EpiPen/EpiPen Jr., as well as when you carry your pen with you during the course of a day.

If exposed to temperatures outside of these storage conditions, the product will be compromised and should be replaced.

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

After reading the links that the OP had posted, I think for me, the bottom line is that you take precautions to ensure that they don't get too hot or too cold, but according to the studies, they are still 'pretty' effective after they were left in undesirable temperatures. Heck, the one study talked about an epipen that had been exposed to undesirable temps AND was 5yrs past its expiration and still was somewhat effective! And to answer my own question about the 1:1000 or 1:10000 concentration, Epipens are indeed 1:1000.

We're lucky that it hardly ever reaches 30 degrees in the summer here, so we just need to remember not to leave them in the car in the summer. In winter, we tuck the epi-belt inside the jacket when we're outside. We're not big skiers so we're hardly ever exposed to cold temps for long periods of time. Some people use insulated lunch bags which would regulate the temperature somewhat. . . and those insulated baby bottle pouches would serve the same purpose and just be a bit smaller to carry around. I bought a couple after initial diagnosis, but haven't used them yet.

I too think that even after being exposed to extreme temps they would still be somewhat effective. I periodically check mine to see if the color has changed or if there are any particulates inside. Just to give you an example, when I was young and there was barely this amount of info out on allergies or epi's, I travelled a lot, often to extremely hot and humid places. The epi's were in a bag or purse but there were no cool protective tubes or insulators to put them in. They always looked normal even after that....and we would be outside the entire day! I think the idea is to really do your best so that you can preserve its maximum effectiveness but if something should happen and it is exposed to extreme temps, likelihood is, if you need it, it will still help in some way.

_________________Associate Editor at Allergic Living.
Allergies to all nuts and legumes except soy and green beans.

I sent a note to King Pharmaceuticals (maker of epi-pen) and a helpful and knowledgeable rep called me. She suggested what Susan said about cool cloths inside an insulated bag and to put in a thermometer so we could watch that it doesn't get too cold. Reminded to have the epi-pen in a waterproof case or ziplocs since it can not get wet.

I realized that we will also be going whitewater rafting so will need something absolutely waterproof! I will be checking these pouches at Mountain Equipment Co-op www.mec.ca :

The epi-pen in its case is 16 cm long so either of these or some of the camera cases might work. I know we could just use ziplocs but for our investment in epi-pens one of these cases could come in handy --- thinking of by the pool, lake too. An advantage to ziplocs etc is that Floats safely if dropped in water.

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

We have one and while it may be waterproof you have to take the epi out of the container with the screwtop lid and if the bag carrying the epi in the Protectube gets wet I am not confident the epi will stay dry. That is why I am looking at a waterproof bag as well but I didn't see any on the anaphylaxis site.

The ana-tote won't work for rafting either unless they have changed them in the few years since we got ours.

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

Awarded 'The Best of the Best New Gear 2005' by National Geographic, the splash caddy is used by outdoor enthusiasts, the military and other government agencies worldwide. Waterproof, dustproof and submersible beyond 200 feet, the nylon pouch and inner liners (comes with two) are perfect for boating, scuba diving and other extreme outdoor sports. The large pouch has enough room for a number of electronics, keys and any other valuables that you may want to attach to your waist for peace of mind.

They look perfect! The pouch is 9.5 x 6.5 inches --- the epi is under 6.5 inches. We need something for river rafting that is attached to her body but waterproof I also envision wearing it at the beach.It appears to have a liner inside the pouch so it may work for putting the cool, wet towels for keeping the epi cool as well.

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

We were living in a hot climate for a few years, and we carried our son`s epi pens in small insulated bags along with a reusable ice pack. They have some that come in sheets that are separated into small sections the size of ice cubes. We just cut one up so that there were about 4 sections in with the epi pen and that tended to last a long time. (Hope that makes sense!)

The Splash Caddy from magellans along with the replacement liner worked great! We used the cool, wet cloth on the hot days and then on the 40 degree celcius day we kept it in a cooler --- at the top so it wasn't on the ice directly. Since the liner is waterproof it kept the epi dry.

From Coghlan's we got a little camping gadget with a thermometer and compass that we kept in the liner bag with the epi so it was easy to check if it was the right temperature.

The Splash Caddy was great for the water rafting because it has grommets in it for the water to go out and the liner bags are very durable. They are so good that we are now carrying the epi and antihistamine in one of the liners inside a purse.

_________________me: allergic to crustaceans plus environmental
teenager: allergic to hazelnuts, some other foods and environmental

Does anyone have any experience to share about keeping EpipenJr in the proper temperature range in cold weather for active outdoor or cold weather sports (hockey/skating indoor/outdoor, tobogganing, skiing, hiking, camping etc) in Canadian winter? With active sports, I wonder if my kid wearing it under his jacket will be warm enough and safe enough that it would not get crushed or fall out without notice. Also, does anyone know if budding hockey players keep their medicine kits under the coach's jacket or does a parent stay in the stands? I would presume the players don't wear them on the ice. This would be a similar scenario to leaving the kit on the lifeguard stand while swimming at a public pool. I am investigating cold insulated containers for temperature ranges and timeframes (ie Thermos drink bottles, lunch bags, camera bags, insulin totes, medical specimen carriers etc). The splash caddy sounds great for summer/wet conditions, if not left in a car. If anyone has any simple, affordable, streamlined, temperature stable container suggestions for cold weather, please post!

_________________Mom of peanut allergic 3 yr old son, eczema, reactive airways, stinging insect status concerning (swelling)
1 yr old daughter with allergy status unknown, untested, never exposed.
No known family history of allergies/anaphylaxis.

Temp. wise until now when outdoors in the winter I've worn DS's on myself under my coat to keep it warm. This winter I will keep it on him/under his coat, I've been told that if worn against the body under a coat the epipen should be fine.

Our daughter plays hockey and any girls she's played with or against who have allergies give their epipen to the trainer. A trainer must according to hockey rules be on the bench at all times so she/he is always right there with a bag of other medical supplies as well as any asthma inhalers/epipens for the players.

Regardless of what your auto injector is in I would never leave it in the car (winter or summer)... ask Gwen!! I think it was last winter she left hers in the truck and had to buy a new one.

When swimming I used to leave a bag in the lifeguards room. There is a glass window at our pool so I could see the bag at all times and there is a door right there to the pool deck. The reason I left it in a bag (clearly marked to contain an epipen and asthma aero chamber) is because it is more visable than just an epipen lying on a counter. I advised all lifeguards on duty where it was. DS can't swim any longer due to ear tube so we haven't had to worry about the pool issue this past year.

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